Commercial Rice Farming and Economic Well Being of Peasants: the case study of the Usangu Plains -1945-200

This study examines the impact of commercial rice farmig on the peasants economic wellbeing in the Usangu plains between 1945 and 2000. The main assumption of the study is that, the development of capitalist production in the Usangu plans had an impact on peasant wellbeing and their self-sufficiency. The study used the political economy approach in explaining this relationship. It used interviews as well documentary review as the main methods for data collection. The study reveals three main findings. First, the study finds out that the introduction and development of rice production in the Usangu plans led to the rice of social stratification based on the ownership of land and utilization of labour among peasants. This gave rise to the consolidation of private family property ownership and exchange relations. Second, the study points out that consolidation of rice production of rice also led to food shortages in the Usangu plans. Peasants put efforts in the production of rice of commercial purpose and spent less time on food production. Third, the study shows that commercial rice farming expresses the exploitative nature of capitalist relations of production and that this is revealed by various mechanisms employed by capital. Peasants are exploited as labours in production as well as at the market place. The study concludes that the poor economic wellbeing of peasant in the Usangu plans is connected to the history of commercial rice farming in the area.